UC Santa Barbara

10/10/2026

Nitrogen is essential for proteins and DNA, yet most organisms can’t use nitrogen gas directly from the atmosphere. Biogeochemists at and UCLA have found that a rare form of nitrogen gas can act as a natural fingerprint for microbial nitrogen conversion.

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A rare version of nitrogen gas helps scientists track how this vital element cycles through organism and around the globe.

10/09/2026

vibes: From your first week of school through your first—or 50th—reunion, you're a Gaucho for life. is next weekend!

10/09/2026

A yearlong archival project by students in Santa Barbara schools culminated with "Finding Fiesta," an exhibit exploring the diverse communities and current events reshaping the city’s Old Spanish Days celebration.

A "Community in Action" installment of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center (IHC) at , the project began in summer 2025 as teachers from local schools convened for a workshop brainstorming learning opportunities as they pored through archives.

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In a yearlong project, local junior high and high school students used archives at UCSB and downtown Santa Barbara to reimagine the city's century-old Fiesta celebration.

10/08/2026

New findings about young infants out of : Saliva is key to social relationships. This work delivers nuance to a longstanding debate scholars in human development have had about how much babies know of the world.

"Some scholars argue that babies are blank slates that know nothing," UCSB's Brandon Woo said. "This work is aiming to get at just how babies are starting to make sense of the social world, of social relationships, and what the role of experience is."

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Young infants infer the closeness of social relationships via saliva sharing interactions

10/07/2026

The calls alerting the winners went out at 3 a.m. and the news was out shortly thereafter: A look back at 2025 when two professors, Michel Devoret and John Martinis, found out they won the Nobel Prize in Physics for work they did together—and what it took to get there 🏆

Full story: https://ow.ly/vcKP50ZVv7v

10/06/2026

The dancing dog trend fits so well on ’s campus 😌



Dog sticker by Neil Sanders 🐋

10/05/2026

From early issues of “Lowrider” magazine to files on gang violence reduction initiatives, and decades of photographs, audio recordings and video footage, the Luis J. Rodriguez Papers are now open for research in UCSB Library's Department of Special Research Collections.

The Rodriguez papers, part of the California Ethnic & Multicultural Archives, provide scholars, students and community members with a rich resource for studying Chicano literature, grassroots activism and social movements.

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Now open for research, the collection provides scholars, students and community members with a rich resource for studying Chicano literature, grassroots activism and social movements

10/04/2026

Three researchers received honors this year from the American Geophysical Union, the country’s preeminent earth science professional organization.

AGU selected earth science Professor David Valentine for the 2026 Ambassador Award; Assistant Professor Leander Anderegg received the James B. Macelwane Medal, and Professor Kelly Caylor has been elected as an AGU Fellow for the 2026 class.

"It's rare to see three colleagues recognized by AGU in the same year, and at three different points in their careers," said Rachel Segalman, vice chancellor for research. "This speaks volumes to the importance of UCSB’s contributions to earth and environmental science. I’m delighted for David, Leander and Kelly, and proud that they do their work here."

Full story: https://ow.ly/kG1S50ZU95A

10/03/2026

Through the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes program, several researchers are poised to tackle hurdles on the road to building widespread, powerful quantum-based technologies.

A total of eight Institutes will receive between about $28 and $37 million over five years.

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UCSB researchers to collaborate in three of NSF's Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes

10/02/2026

A time to learn, create and pursue excellence: Welcome to a new academic year at UC Santa Barbara! Chancellor Dennis Assanis and Eleni Assanis have a message for new and returning Gauchos 💙📚🌊